Flexible coupling



Infanteri oct. 19, 1931 I 2,096,039

UNITED STATES PATENT vFLEXIBLE coUPLlNGv Eugene Higgins, Jackson, Mich.Application August zs, 1935, serial No. 38,244. Q

s claims. (ci.l 64-14),v

The present invention relates to flexible couvention illustrates theteeth of the internal and pling used to transmit power from a drivingmemexternal gears being skewed approximately the ber to a driven member.In most cases such mempitch angle of the helical spring. bers will takethe form of two co-axial lengths of Referring specifically to thedrawing, the inshafting. The functions and uses of couplings of ventionis exemplified in a pair of concentric 5 the character to which theinvention relates are members lll and l2 having hubs l'4 and IE securedwell known and do not need to be herein set forth to the co-axialshaftings I l and |3. The member in order to fully understand theinvention. In IU includes radial flanges |8 and 20 between whichgeneral, it may be stated that my invention is an a `ring 22 is clampedhaving cast teeth 24. Stud improvement upon the type of flexiblecoupling bolts 26 retain the several parts in assembledfre- 10 disclosedin U. S.-Patent No. 1,522,774. V lation. The member |2 has a radialflange 28 As its primary object, the present invention prohaving 'castteeth 30 corresponding to the teeth vides a flexible coupling which maybe inexpen- 24 in the'ring 22. For all practical purposes the sivelyconstructed and assembled and is capable ring 22 and flange 28 can takethe form of inexof transmitting a maximum working load withpensivelycast internal and external gears.v As

out loss of desired characteristics. The inven-- shown the flange .20has a depending portion 3l tion resides in the arrangement, andconstruction slightly `spaced from the hub 14. A flexible diaandcombination of parts to be hereinafter dephragm'32 is clamped betweenthe flange ,and scribed in detail and set forth in the appended a gasket34 interposed'between the fianges 20 and 20 claims for accomplishingthis object and other ring 22. Preferably the diaphragm 32 is normally20 objects and advantages whichwill become apof lesser diameter than thehub |4 thus when exparent, particularlyafter a consideration of thepanded over the same it tightly seals the gap beaccompanying drawingwherein several emboditween the depending flange 3| and the hub M. mentsof the invention are illustrated. A helically wound spring 36 is shownin "Figs.

In the drawing, 1 and 2 as interposed between the concentric 25 Fig. 1is a cross-sectional view taken on line ring 22 and flange 28 andconstitutes a flexible I-I of Fig. 2 through the coupling, drivingconnection between the members lll and Fig. 2 is a side elevational viewof the coupling |2. Preferably the outside diameter of the springpartially shown in vertical cross-section, 36 approximates the distancebetween the root Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-section of a modicircleof the gear teeth 24 and 30 while thefp'itch 30' fied type of coilspring, thereof approximates the circular pitch of the Fig. 4 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 2 of a modified gears 24 and 30. Such an arrangementenables construction, and the spring36 to be readily assembled in place.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a coupling ele- Moreover, the spring isnormally under no matement having skewed teeth. r ial stress exceptduring power transmission thus 35 A Generally, the invention resides ina flexible avoiding any tendencies to take a permanent set. couplingcomprising a pair vof concentric driv- In the form of the inventionillustrated in Fig. 1, ing and driven members having spaced opposed the4gear teeth and springs are coextensive through toothed portions.Preferably, these toothed por- 'substantially 360. Diametricallyopposite por- 40 tions take the form of cast intemal and extemal Vtionsof each convolution of the spring 36 are 40 gears or gear segments.Bridging the space belocated between adjacent teeth 24 and 30 of thetween the gears and constituting a flexible drivgear portions. Thisgives maximum power transing connection is one or more helical springshavmission through the coupling with minimum ing each convolutionthereof -disposed between stress upon eaich convolution, of theV spring.36.

adjacent teeth of opposed portions of the con- Obvously,`two or morecoextensive gear segments 45 centric members. The spring may be a singleconmay be employed upon the ring 22 and flange 28 tinuous structure.extended through the entire in lieu of continuous' teeth. In such anevent then inner and outer circumference of the toothed porseparatelengthsof helical springs would be assotion or one or more springsengaging with segciated with each set of coextensive gear segments.

I ments of the toothed portions or with seg- Moreover, with continuousteeth upon the ring 50 mental toothed portions.I In one form of the in-22and flange 28, in some cases it may be desirable vention thevcontacting area between the toothed to employ one or more shortenedlengths of portions and the spring has been increased by a springs, theconvolution of which engages With departure from the conventionalcircular crossless than all consecutive teeth 24 and 30.

sectlonal spring' wire. Another form of. the in- In Fig. 3 a slightlymodifled form of the inven- 55 angle of the helical spring.I It will beunder-- tion is shown in that the helical spring ll is eoiled fromrelatively flat wire. This has the eflect of increasing the bearingsurface between the spring and the teeth 42 and M of the couplingmember.

Referring to Fig. 4, a variation in construction of the coupling fromthat disclosed in Fig. 2 is illustrated. The concentric members ll andll include hubV portions 50 and 52. A radial i'iange 54 having castteeth 61 is housed by a'pair of spaced radial. flanges 58 -and 60supported from the hub 50. A ring 62 having cast teeth .I spaces theflanges 58 and 60; the parts being held in assembled relation bysuitable cap screws. ll. A;

helical spring 66 engages with the teeth II and 81. to provide aflexible coupling between the members 46 and 48. I.

In Fig. 5 is diagrammatically iilustrated a reilnement of constructionin which the teeth ll of the gear portions 10 of the coupling membersare skewed at an angle approximating the pitch stood that if the teethof both the external and I Instead, Veither the outer or inner sides ofthe.

internal gear portions are skewed, the teeth engaging the outer sideof'the convoiutions of the helical spring will be angularly disposed inan opposite direction from the teeth engaging the inner side of theconvolution.

The action of the spring 38, for example, dif fers materially from thatof the spring in the aforesaid patent. Upon the transmission of powerthrough the coupling, the spring Il is neither compressed or extended asis usual in the action of a helical spring under a working load'.

helical spring is racked or tilted with respect to the opposite sidedepending upon which gear portion is the driver.V In other words, thespacing of each convolution is .not materiaily altered yet eachconvolution is Vdistorted from its normal helix and placed under ato'rsional'strain'.

It will become apparent to those skilled' in the art that I haveprovided a compact, inexpensive,

flexible coupling 'which may be readily assembled for installation 'andreadily disassembled for repair or replacement of parts. Alterations and`changes in construction of the toothed elements and spring or springswill undoubtedly. suggest themselvesin view of this exemplifieddisclosure of'theprinciples of my invention. For this reasonI do notdesire to b`e limited 'to the details of construction herein disclosedexcept to the ex- 'tent'indicated in the appended claims.

Having described my inventionfwhat I claim and desire to protect byLetters Patent is:

'1. In a'flexible Lcouplin'g, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, .aconnecting member secured to one of said shafts, a second connectingmember secured to the other of said shafts, a substantially cylindricalmember projecting over said flrst.

member, a flexible connection between said first named member and saidcylindrical member', an annular iiange detachably connected' to saidcylindrical member, means to clamp said flangeA named connecting memberhaving means deiiecting the inner portion of said diaphragm outwardly,said diaphragm completing the housing for the connection formed by saidfirst member. said second member and said flexible connecting means.

2. In a flexible coupiing; a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a connectingmember secured to one .of said shafts, a second connecting membersecured to the other of said shafts, said second cornnecting memberhaving a substantially cylindrical member projecting' over said flrstmember, extemal and internal toothed portions annularly 'arranged andconcentrically disposed on said flrst named and second named connectingmembers," respectively, a helical spring disposed between said firstnamed and second named members, the coils thereof being disposed betweenthe spaces deflned by said. toothed portions, an annular fiangedetachably connected to a portion of the outer end of said cylindricalmember, an annular recess defined by said annular flange disposedradialiy inwardly from its point of contact withs'aid cylindricalmember. resilient means of annular configuration disposed against aportion of the outer end of said cylindrical member radialiy inwardlyfrom the point of contact of said annular ilange with said cylindricaimember, an

portion between said annular flange 'and said'resilient means, saidrecess in said annular ilange being 'of such 'configuration as todefle'ct said flexible diaphragm inwardly toward said connecting member.lsaid first. named connecting member having means deflecting the innerportion of said diaphragm outwardly from said connecting members, saiddiaphragm completing the .housing for the connection formed by saidfirst member and. said flenble connecting means.

.f 3. In a flexible coupling, a driving' shaft, a

drlven shaft. a connecting member secured to one 'of said shafts, asecond connecting member secured to the other of 'said shafts, saidsecond connecting member having a substantiaily cylindrical memberproiecting over said flrst member. external and internal toothedportions' annuiarly arranged and concentrically disposed on said firstnam'ed and second namedconnecting members,

*'respectiveiy, a helical spring`disposed between" said first named andsecond named members, the coils thereof being disposed between thespaces defined by said toothed portions, an annularv fiange demi-.amyconnected to a portion of the' Y outer end of said cylindricai member.an'annular recess defined by said annular flange Qdisposed radiallyinwardly from' its point of contact with said cylindrical member, anannuiar flexible diaphragm clamped at its outer portion between saidannular fiange and said cylindrical means; said recess in said annularilange being of such conflguration as to defiect said flexiblediaphragminwardly'toward said lconnecting member, said first namedconnectingnmember having means deflecting the inner portion of saiddiaphragm outwardly from said connecting members, said diaphragmcompleting the housing for the connection formed by said flrst memberand said flexible connecting' means EUGENE HIGGINS.

